Plating apparatus



March 31, 1925.

L. SCHULTE PLATING. APPARATUS 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 30, 1923 March 31, 1925. 1,531,411

L. SCHULTE PLATING' APPARATUS Fildwov. 35. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fi/i f lam 23051? ,4 I- f I y Patented Mar. 31, 1925.

LO'UIS SCHULTE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PLATING APPARATUS.

Application filed November 30, 1923. Serial No. 677,680.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS SoHULTE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Plating Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, conelse, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming 11) a part of this specification.

My invention relates to plating machines and more particularly to a machine of this character having 'a rotatable member in which the articles to be plated are carried 17 and embodying a rotatable anode.

I It is a purpose of my invention to provide a machine forplating small articles in mass form that is very simple in construc-tion, in plating.

It is still another purpose of the invention to provide plating apparatus having a movable carrier for the articles to be plated that can be removed from the appa.- $5 ratus for the purpose of emptying the articles plated therefrom.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide carrying means for the articles to be plated comprising a revolving anode surrounding the articles to be plated and adapted to receive within itself a removable holder for the articles to be plated.

It is still a further purpose of the invention to dispense with the use of suspended anodes hanging on bus bars or hangers and to avoid the use of fixed shafts for supporting the carrier for the articles to be plated.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a plating machine in which the work may be observed and inspected for the purpose of controlling the plating operation while the machine is-in operation without stopping the carrier for the articles that are being plated from rotating and without the necessity of removing any cover or lid to inspect the articles within the carrier.

By avoiding the use of bus bars, hangers, eta, the troublesome work of cleaning connections, bus bars, anodes and hooks is avoided. Also, by using a large anode surrounding the work and'a cathode engaging withthe Work, all danger of burning the Work, as exists where a rotating member is pro- 5 vided in which the articles to be plated are efficient in operation and rapid contained with which an anode that is within said container co-operates, is avoided and not only is this danger avoided but, due tothe fact that the device preferably comprises a large anode surrounding the work that is rotatably mounted within a tank having a large volume of solution therein, preferably on an axis extending at an ob lique angle, easy access can be obtained to the interior of the device. That is, the anode and the removable holder for the work within the same preferably rotates about an axis extending at an oblique angle to the vertical within the plating tank 'and both the holder for the work and the anode have an open top so that the work holder or carrier can be removed from the anode readily and the plated work emptied therefrom. By use of the anode that revolves and the cathode engaging the'w'ork the formation of trees on the revolving member and the plating of the revolving parts is entirely avoided.

It has been found, in observing the operation of plating machines having rotating carriers ,for the work and stationary anodes, the carriers being perforated, that the amount of current passing through the apparatus is reduced when rotation begins and increases when rotation stops. This is believed to be due to the fact that the flow of the current is broken due to the rotating of the perforated member with the openings past the anodes, thus breaking the path of the current from the anode to the work. In my improved apparatus the perforated member and the anode rotate together and the work rotates with the perforated member, while the cathode is in engagement with'the work. i and breaking of the circuit due to the action of the perforated member and results in there being no appreciable loss in current strength when the device rotates over that existingtwhen the device is stationary. Thus, a much greater efiiciency is obtained than in the devices embodying the stationary anodes referred to above.

Other objects and advantages of the "invention will appear as the description of the accompanyingdrawings proceeds. However, I desire to have'it distinctly understood that I do not intend to limit myself to the exact details shown or described but that I intend to include aspart of my in- This prevents the making 9 son skilled in this art and as woul vention all such obvious changes and modifications of partsas would occur to a perd fall within the scope of the claims.

In the drawings:

' Fig. 1 is a plan View of my improved plating apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation partly in section of the basket or holder for the articles to be plated;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

-Referring in detail to the drawings, my improved plating device comprises a tank having the side walls .10 and the bottom 11 providing a container for the electrolyte or plating solution 12. One of the walls 10 of the tank has a bearing bracket13 secured thereto by means of securing means 14 and is provided with a leg 16, resting against the bottom 11 of the tank, and a leg 17 resting a ainst the side 10 of the tank. Extending rom said bracket member 13 upwardly and toward the middle of the tank, preferably at an angle of substantially 45 degrees to the vertical, is a tubular bearing member 18 in which is mounted the shaft 19. Said shaft 19 is provided preferably with a conical end portion 20 mounted in the conical end portion 21 of said bearing. bearing is babbitted as indicated at 22 to provide a tight bearing, the metal used for babbitting the same being preferably a metal that will not go into the plating solution 12,

such as lead. The shaft 19 is provided with a shoulder at 23 against which'the gear 24 rests, said gear being secured in position on the shaft bymeans of a ke 25. The gear 24 is a beveled gear, as wil be clear from Fig. 2, and meshes with a beveled gear 26 provided on the drive shaft 27 which extends through a bearing 28 in the bracket 29 secured to the wall 10in any suitable manner, as by means of the securing devices 30.

The shaft 19 has a portion 31 extending beyond the gear 24 adapted to receive the semi-circular clamping portions 32 provided on the anode members 33. The anode in the drawings is shown as being made up of two of such members 33 but it is obvious that any'desired number may be provided. Each of the members 33 is also provided with flange portions 34 for receiving the securing devices .35 for clamping the parts tegether and to the shaft end 31.- The portions 32 are, of course, shaped so as to receive the shaft snugly thereinand to avoid theen trance of plating-solution between the portions 32 and the shaft 31.

Themembers 33. are also'provided with The the plating solution will enter the hollow members 33 but in the anode formed by the drawings the abutting faces of the members 33 are shown as having corrugations 38 with the ridges of the corrugations engaging each other, thus providing a series of openings 39 along the joint between the two members 33,/lwhereby the solution enters the hollow anode. The anode, comprising the pair of members 33, will, of course, revolve with the shaft 19 when the same is driven through the gears 24 and 26 from the shaft 27.

As will be clear from the drawings, the anode is preferably non-circular in form and is shown in the drawings as being hexagonal in shape. Each member 33 has, of course, the three side wall portions to thus together form a hexagonal member and are each provided with a bottom portion 40, the two bottom' portions 40 together forming a bottom for said anode and joining the side wall porto be plated. Said basket member comprises aframework having the vertically extending members 41, which may be made of wonder any other suitable material that is not affected by the plating solution and which does not serve as a conductor of electricity, a bottom frame 42 of hexagonal outline, which may be made of bakelite or other non-conducting 'material, and a top frame member 43, which may be made of any desired material. This upper frame 43 could be made of metal if desired as the'same I will not be in the solution. The uprights 41 and frames 42 and 43 are clamped together by means of suitable rods or bolt-like members 44 which extend through openings in the members 41, thus being out of contact with the solhtion and not being affected.

-thereby nor. by the electric current.

Mounted between the ribs 41 are perforated plates 45, said plates 45 being made of any suitable material, such as celluloid or bakelite, not affected by the solution and which is a non-conductor of electricity. The perforated plates 45 are mounted in grooves 46 in the members 41 and in grooves 47 in the member 42. The frame member 42 is also provided with a transverse rib or brace 48 having a central enlargement 49 and a perforated plate 50 rests on said frame 42. The frame 43 is also provided with suitable. elongated openings or slots 51 for receiving the hands so that the basket can be lifted out of the anode when the articles therein have been completely plated.

The tank also has a bracket 52 mounted on the wall portion 10 opposite the wall carrying the bracket 13, said bracket 52 having a standard 53 thereon upon which the rod 54 is clamped by means of a clamping screw 55, said rod 54 being provided with an eye 56 at the end thereof with which the chain 57 is connected that leads into the basket and engages with the Work 58 there in. The leads from the source of current are connected respectively with the anode and with the bracket 52 in any suitable manner. The positive lead may be connected to any part electrically connected with the shaft 19 but is shown in the drawings as being connected by means of the bolt 14 with the bracket 13, said lead being indicated by the numeral 59 in the drawings. The negative lead 60 is clamped to the bracket 52 by means of the screw 61. Thus, the current will pass from the lead 59 through the bracket 13. into the shaft 19 and from said shaft into the anodemade up of the members 33, through the solution to the articles to be plated and from said articles to the conducting chain 57 and then through the rod 54 to the bracket 52 and out through T the lead 60.

It will be noted that due to the construction of the device there are no loose joints or parts within the solution where a positive and a negative pole in the solution will be formed that will cause any of the apparatus to be eaten away except where the anode engages with the solution. The anode is, of course, cast in a suitable form or in that shown in the drawings, and the anodes are replaced as they are eaten away.

It has been found that in the use of the device the anode will wear away or pass into the solution opposite the perforated plates in the basket or container for the-articles to be plated and that the same will not be affected materially where the frame members of the basket are located. Thus, as the plating action continues, the anode will assume the shape of a skeleton framework having uprights substantially at the corners of the anode and having a bottom and a top ring connecting said uprights and a cross piece will also exist where the cross bar 48 is provided and an enlargement will remain in the bottom opposite the enlargement 49. When the anode reaches this condition it is time to junk the same and re place it with a new anode.

I11 order to provide for the necessary support at the bottom' for the shaft receiving members 32, the ribs 34 are provided and the cross bar 48 is, of course, provided,

the cross bar 48 also strengthening the. In addition, if-

framework of the basket. desired, the perforations may be arranged as shown in Fig. 4 in which the perforations 62 are shown as following the general outline of the rib or cross bar 48 leaving an unperforated portion 63 with an unperforated enlargement 64 in the bottom plate 50. The bottom plate 50 is also ofnonconducting material such a bakelite or celluloid. 7

Having thus described my invention what I desire to claim and secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, a .tationary electrolyte tank and a hollow anode rotatable in said electrolyte. I

2. In a. device of the character described, a hollow rotatable polygonal anode.

3. An anode of thecharacter described having side wallsand an end to provide an open ended receptacle.

4. An anode of the character described having polygonal side walls and an end to provide an open ended polygonal receptacle.

5. In a device of the character described, a stationary electrolyte tank, a hollow anode rotatable in said electrolyte and a perforated receptacle mounted within said anode and rotating therewith.

6. In a device of the character described, a hollow rotatable polygonal anode and a perforated polygonal receptacle mounted within said anode.

7. In a device of the character described, a hollow rotatable polygonal anodeand a] ducting material mounted within said anode. l 8. In a device of the character described, a hollow rotatable anode and an'open topped receptacle mounted in said anode, said receptacle having perforated wall zones and imperforate zones.

9. Adevice of the character described comprising a stationary tank adapted to contain an electrolyte, a hollow anode mounted for rotation therein, said anode being open at one end thereof, and an open ended receptacle for articles to be plated mounted within said anode.

10. A device of the character described comprising a stationary tank adapted to contain an electrolyte, a hollow anode mounted. for rotation therein, said anode being open at one end thereof, and an open ended receptacle for articles to be plated mounted within said anode, said receptacle being mounted to rotate with said anode.

11. A device of the character described comprising a stationary tank adapted to contain an electrolyte, a hollow anode mounted for rotation therein, said anode being open at the top thereof, an open topped receptacle in said anode and a cathode extending into said receptacle. r

12. A device of the character described perforated polygonal receptacle of non-con comprising a stationary tank adapted to ing open at the top thereof, an open topped receptacle in said anode and a flexible cathode extending into said receptacle.

13. A device of the character described comprising a stati-onary tank adapted to contain an electrolyte, a hollow anode mounted for rotation therein, said anode having openings for the circulation .of the electrolyte therein. V

'14. A device of the character described comprising a stationary tank adapted to contain an electrolyte, a hollow anode mounted for rotation therein on an inclined axis, said anode being open at the top thereof, an open topped receptacle in said anode and a cathode extending into said receptacle.

15. A device of the comprising a stationary tank adapted to contain arr-electrolyte, a shaft mounted on an inclined axis therein, means for rotating said shaft, an open topped hollow anode mounted on saidshaft to rotate therewith, a receptacle for articles to be plated mounted in said anode, and a cathode extending into said receptacle.

16. A device of the character described comprising a stationary tank adapted to contain a large body of electrolyte, a shaft mounted on an inclined axis therein, means for rotating said shaft, an open topped hollow anode mounted on :said shaft to rotate therewith, a receptacle for articles-to be.

plated mounted in said anode, and a cathode extending into said receptacle, said shaft character described conducting the current into said anode from the exterior of said means for rotating said shaft.

17. A device of the character described comprising a tank adapted to contain an electrolyte, a shaft mounted on an inclined axis therein, means for rotating said shaft,

an open topped hollow anode mounted on said tank independently of said shaft to rotate therewith, a receptacle for articles to be plated mounted in said anode, and a flexible cathode extending into said receptacle, said "shaft conducting the current into said anode from the exterior of said tank.

18. In a device of the character described, a hollow rotatable anode and an open topped receptacle mounted in said anode, said receptacle having a skeleton framework and perforated plates mounted insaid framework. I

19. In a device of the character described, a hollow rotatable anode and an open topped receptacle mounted in said. anode, said receptacle having a skeleton framework and perforated plates mounted in said framework, said receptacle being closely adjacent said anode, whereby the anode is protected from attack by the electrolyte in zones corresponding to said framework. I

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 22nd day of November, A. D. 19.3.

LOUIS SCHULTE. 

